tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225157042015-03-03T00:54:57.115-05:00Media Services Newsclewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130072878056150548noreply@blogger.comBlogger1403125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22515704.post-1767900047486805932015-03-02T14:41:00.000-05:002015-03-02T14:41:10.755-05:00See the next documentary from the director of Miss Representation TOMORROW!<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hc45-ptHMxo" width="560"></iframe><br />Miss Representation was one of the most impactful and successful documentaries from 2011, and its examination of the portrayal of women in media is extremely relevant to larger cultural conversations that have started in the last few years. Director Jennifer Siebel Newsom's newest film is <i>The Mask You Live In</i>, looks at another component of the gendered media landscape, specifically harmful notions of masculinity.<br /><br /><i>The Mask You Live In</i> premiered at Sundance in January and likely won't find itself in theaters or on DVD for a while. But we're lucky enough to be hosting a screening?<br /><br />The American University Library is <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1554982414749803">co-sponsoring a screening of <i>The Mask You Live In</i> </a><b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1554982414749803">tomorrow at 7pm in the McKinley Theater</a>.</b> The discussion of the film will follow. RSVP for this screening is not required, but since attendance is already expected at over 100 people, you might want to get there early.<br /><br />This is a very exciting event that we're proud to be involved with. <b>Please note that the event will take place in the McKinley Theater, not in the SIS Founders Room as originally planned.</b><br /><br />See you there!Phil Salvadorhttps://plus.google.com/115042328847406475535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22515704.post-10524187814261745672015-02-26T16:25:00.002-05:002015-02-26T16:25:34.348-05:00Your pre-March bracket: What's the DCy-est film ever?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.washingtonian.com/blogs/capitalcomment/brackets/what-is-the-most-washington-movie-of-all-time.php" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lRzI8Z1atpo/VO-PO8UfL7I/AAAAAAAABhU/TA2-TRrNmNg/s1600/dcab.jpg" height="236" width="400" /></a></div><br />Many movies take place in DC to make use of its proximity to politics and major cultural institutions like the Smithsonian. Others just happen to take place in the city. It's fun to see DC represented on the screen in a variety of ways, but the question remains: which is really <i>the</i> DC movie? It's an arbitrary choice, but <i>Washingtonian</i> is going to get to the bottom of this.<br /><br />Earlier this week, <a href="http://www.washingtonian.com/blogs/capitalcomment/brackets/what-is-the-most-washington-movie-of-all-time.php"><i>Washingtonian</i> opened a bracket</a> to vote for movies set in DC based on their subject area. The rationale behind different categories is a little hazy, but we enjoy any tournament with the possibility of a <i>DC Cab</i> / <i>Strangers on a Train</i> matchup.<br /><br />Head over to their site and start voting for your favorites. We really hope something non-political wins for the sake of celebrating DC culture. Sorry, <i>Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter</i>.Phil Salvadorhttps://plus.google.com/115042328847406475535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22515704.post-61749866009229414962015-02-24T12:28:00.001-05:002015-02-24T12:28:34.020-05:00Happy Fair Use Week!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.cmsimpact.org/fair-use" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OZNofSrajzo/VOy0BywVGMI/AAAAAAAABhA/oG7J_Zi_MT0/s1600/fairuse.png" /></a></div>By the declaration of the Association of Research Libraries, <a href="http://www.arl.org/component/events/event/148">this week is Fair Use Week!</a> "Fair use" is one of the most important exemptions in copyright law that allows educators, artists, and journalists to create new works from copyrighted content. Fair use provisions have allowed everything from students editing films for academic assignments to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOCF0BLf-BM">supercuts</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RedLetterMedia">feature-length film criticism</a>. In a nearly all-digital media landscape, fair use exemptions are more important than ever for protecting transformative content.<br /><br />The ARL website has some activities listed, but we want to promote some AU-sponsored fair use resources. The School of Communication's Center for Media and Social Impact <a href="http://www.cmsimpact.org/fair-use">has a whole site on fair use guidelines</a> that's worth reading. There's detailed guides for claiming fair use exemptions for different types of media – journalism, documentaries, orphan works, etc. – as well as video guides and a "fair use question of the month." They're highly recommended for anyone working on a media project that might incorporate copyrighted materials<br /><br />(Pat Aufderheide, an SOC professor and friend of Media Services, contributed a great deal to these resources. Woohoo!)Phil Salvadorhttps://plus.google.com/115042328847406475535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22515704.post-32243913985138155532015-02-23T12:37:00.000-05:002015-02-23T12:37:03.311-05:00Meet Chuck Workman, the Oscar montage man<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.npr.org/2015/02/21/387814405/the-king-of-condensed-films-meet-hollywood-s-montage-master" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ByW6ms2Xk5o/VOtlJfbiB5I/AAAAAAAABgw/lyqdawU_G40/s1600/workman.jpg" height="238" width="400" /></a></div>There's really nothing else we have to say about the Oscars last night apart from congratulating <i>Birdman</i> for its big win. Instead, let's direct your attention to one of the most important people behind the scenes at the biggest award show of the year. He's Chuck Workman, and he creates the clips played during the Oscar ceremonies.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.npr.org/2015/02/21/387814405/the-king-of-condensed-films-meet-hollywood-s-montage-master">NPR put together a great profile</a> about Workman and his twenty years of experience cutting clips for the Oscars. There's a ton of skill on display, whether that's matching cuts for a montage, reducing a film to a highlight reel, or finding a single great scene from an actor's entire career. Everyone in the industry seems to have great respect for him and his talents. You've gotta respect his craft, even if his interview is tinged with some disdain towards new media.<br /><br />Workman is one of the many people who gets overlooked when dolling out credit to the film industry, and we always love to see more attention thrown their way. Phil Salvadorhttps://plus.google.com/115042328847406475535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22515704.post-14551567536919744482015-02-19T09:51:00.001-05:002015-02-19T09:52:07.045-05:00Did you miss Whiplash? Have a bladder of steel? See every Best Picture nominee in a row on Saturday<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amctheatres.com/movies/2-21-24-hour-best-picture-marathon-2015#94559" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wjG26zDeBEQ/VOX4N3K9X3I/AAAAAAAABgA/czFlGVkre6w/s1600/tumblr_inline_nax56uhy7q1smpmpn.gif" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>via icanhasgif.com</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br />You hear the same refrain every year about Oscar nominations: if only those movies had been in theaters for longer. You might not have gone to see <i>The Imitation Game</i> on its own accord, but now that it's in contention for some major awards, it would be nice to see it in the months before it hits DVD.<br /><br />AMC hears your concerns, and they're going to let you cram all those films in at the last minute, finals-style. This Saturday, the Loews Georgetown 14 theater will hold <a href="https://www.amctheatres.com/events/best-picture-showcase">a marathon of all eight Best Picture-nominated films</a>, starting at 10am with <i>Boyhood</i> and ending at around 5:30am <b>the next day</b> with <i>The Grand Budapest Hotel</i>. This extreme endurance test of art cinema will run you $65, which comes to $8 per movie and isn't a bad price for the value you're getting. Just as long as you brace yourself for 20 hours of film and prepare to eat far more popcorn and nachos than you may have hoped.<br /><br />Tickets for the event <a href="https://www.amctheatres.com/movies/2-21-24-hour-best-picture-marathon-2015#94559">are on sale through the AMC website</a>. We have no earthly idea what the demand is for the event, so you're probably better off buying tickets in advance. If you're going to commit to a full day of movie-watching, you're going to <i>commit</i>.Phil Salvadorhttps://plus.google.com/115042328847406475535noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22515704.post-51629265425497712932015-02-18T13:23:00.000-05:002015-02-18T13:23:07.909-05:00A radical proposal: what if the Oscars removed nominations?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.vulture.com/2015/01/how-to-fix-the-oscars-abolish-nominations.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6m7gzIHiNXA/VOTU8rUF9RI/AAAAAAAABfw/zwd7KyhVeA0/s1600/nomin.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>The Oscars are this Sunday, and although we're as excited as every year, there's a certain level of predictability in every ceremony. A few months ago, the current Oscar race was considered one of the most competitive of all time, but the past weeks of tertiary award shows have made it clear who will win most of the awards.<i> </i>Best Picture and Best Director are down between <i>Birdman</i> and <i>Boyhood</i>. Julianne Moore and Patricia Arquette will win the actress categories. Even the Best Actor category, a field of overwhelming talent, is now just between Michael Keaton and Eddie Redmayne.<br /><br />So how do you bring back the surprise? <i>Vulture</i> writer Adam Sternbergh <a href="http://www.vulture.com/2015/01/how-to-fix-the-oscars-abolish-nominations.html">has an interesting idea: never reveal the nominees.</a><br /><br />Sternbergh points out that the Oscar nomination announcements are often more exciting and talked-about than the winners themselves. Consider all the ink spilled about <i>Selma</i>'s nomination snubs this year; there will certainly be less attention if the film doesn't win Best Picture or Best Song. It would probably never fly for a number of reasons (practicality chief among them), but Sternbergh's proposal would involve revealing the nominees at the event itself, bringing some drama and immediacy back to the ceremony.<br /><br />The Oscars's problems are well-documented and possibly over-discussed, but much of that criticism focuses on the structure of the Academy and its voting process. We give Sternbergh points for thinking outside the box in an attempt to repair the ceremony.Phil Salvadorhttps://plus.google.com/115042328847406475535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22515704.post-11123673762620008352015-02-12T13:41:00.001-05:002015-02-12T13:41:08.677-05:00Revisit SNL for its fortieth anniversary<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QIIkcs7wN9E/VNzzl0peJQI/AAAAAAAABfc/0C-Mh3z--Zw/s1600/bassomatic.png" height="216" width="320" /></div><i>Saturday Night Live</i> doesn't really turn 40 until next October, but the folks at NBC decided that now was the right time to celebrate four decades on the air. <i>SNL</i> is indisputably one of the biggest and most important comedy programs of all time, having weathered constant changes in style and quality and producing some of the most memorable sketches and performers in comedy. To paraphrase <a href="http://www.hitfix.com/whats-alan-watching/saturday-night-live-at-40-the-snl-story-told-through-its-sketches"><i>Hitfix</i>'s Alan Sepinwall</a>, there's really nothing left to say about <i>SNL</i>. Its alumni roster (including Tina Fey, Eddie Murphy, Chevy Chase, and Will Ferrell) speaks for itself.<br /><br />Despite its heavyweight cast headlined by John Belushi, <i>SNL</i> still had to find its voice and tone in the beginning like any other show. The first few seasons are odd, with occasional appearances from the Muppets, heavy emphasis on stand-up comedy, overstuffed or entirely absent musical acts, and overall conceptual weirdness. Portions of these shows are available to stream online through Hulu, Yahoo Screen, and other services, but it's hard to get the full picture of early <i>SNL</i> just by watching highlights reels.<br /><br />For a more thorough trip into the origins of the reigning champion of televised sketch comedy, we recommend checking out the DVD versions of the first two seasons from our collection. And not just because we have them: <i>SNL</i> is really meant to be watched in full episodes, and this is the best way to do that. Undoubtedly some of these episodes will be featured in this weekend's anniversary special, but if you're a fan of the show, a deep dive might be worthwhile too.<br /><br />Saturday Night Live, Season 1 – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=7484738">HU DVD 14188</a><br />Saturday Night Live, Season 2 – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=7484757">HU DVD 14189</a>Phil Salvadorhttps://plus.google.com/115042328847406475535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22515704.post-61656837848207465362015-02-11T12:52:00.000-05:002015-02-11T12:54:06.091-05:00Vulture reflects on Ousmane Sembène, father of African cinema<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.vulture.com/2015/02/how-ousmane-sembene-invented-african-cinema.html" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ssrCHkSLN_o/VNuWf2BebiI/AAAAAAAABfM/LeB6SlsJlpA/s1600/semb.jpg" height="181" width="200" /></a></div>This year's Sundance film festival hosted the premiere of <i>Sembène!</i>, a documentary about African filmmaker Ousmane Sembène. You might not know that name, but Sembène is one of the most important figures in the birth of African cinema. He arguably started the entire African film movement with, <a href="http://www.vulture.com/2015/02/how-ousmane-sembene-invented-african-cinema.html">as <i>Vulture</i> describes</a>, "no film equipment, no professional actors, and no funding."<br /><br />Sembène is a name worth knowing, and in celebration of the new documentary, <i>Vulture</i> put together<a href="http://www.vulture.com/2015/02/how-ousmane-sembene-invented-african-cinema.html"> a terrific overview of Sembène's work</a> and his contributions to African cinema. We strongly recommend giving it a read if you want to learn about one of the hardest working and most pivotal filmmakers in world cinema.<br /><br />If you want to dive further into his work, look for Sembène's films in our collection. They're frequently being checked out for class use, but you can also watch many of them here in the library.<br /><br />Xala – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=11861108">HU DVD 1286 </a><br />Mandabi – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=6207243">HU DVD 1287 </a><br />La Noire de... – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=6595838">HU DVD 1953</a><br />Moolaadé – <span id="goog_1764560291"></span><a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=6261817">HU DVD 3862</a><br />Faat Kiné – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=8943925">DVD 8721</a><br />Ceddo – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=4124526">DVD 9465</a><br />Camp de Thiaroye – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=11331777">DVD 9728</a><br />Borom Sarret – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=11664353">DVD 10070</a><br />Guelwaar – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=4124523">DVD 10586</a>Phil Salvadorhttps://plus.google.com/115042328847406475535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22515704.post-69071332544378064742015-02-10T13:11:00.002-05:002015-02-10T13:11:36.672-05:00Check out the amazing art on Criterion's Zatoichi box set<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0uKR3f-1nh8/VNpJH3tCXjI/AAAAAAAABew/roN_bPvu8mg/s1600/WP_20150210_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0uKR3f-1nh8/VNpJH3tCXjI/AAAAAAAABew/roN_bPvu8mg/s1600/WP_20150210_001.jpg" height="169" width="200" /></a>When we purchase new films for our collection, we always try to buy their definitive version. This means that the films we get often come in extravagant cases with all sorts of bonuses. We've basically seen at all at this point: <i>Futurama</i> in a giant life-sized Bender head, <i>Six Feet Under</i> in a block covered in artificial turf, <i>Singin' in the Rain</i> with a commemorative umbrella... you get the idea.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QS1uNG04U4Q/VNpJHyUHHxI/AAAAAAAABe0/USfbImqoXc4/s1600/WP_20150210_003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QS1uNG04U4Q/VNpJHyUHHxI/AAAAAAAABe0/USfbImqoXc4/s1600/WP_20150210_003.jpg" height="177" width="200" /></a>Even so, we were blown away by the case for Criterion Collection's release of the Zatoichi films. Over the course of twenty-six films, the popular Japanese series chronicled the journey of Zatoichi, a blind swordsman who wanders the country protecting the innocent. Zatoichi has appeared in more movies than James Bond, which should give you an idea about his popularity.<br /><br />The Zatoichi compilation showed up in this glorious multi-piece box set, decorated with Japanese woodblock-style artwork depicting the events of the series. It's pretty gorgeous, even for a Criterion set.<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8K7OfEBFbaU/VNpJHy33YkI/AAAAAAAABes/hFMzDUgjkZE/s1600/WP_20150210_004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8K7OfEBFbaU/VNpJHy33YkI/AAAAAAAABes/hFMzDUgjkZE/s1600/WP_20150210_004.jpg" height="182" width="200" /></a><br /><br />Unfortunately, we're not going to put this box on the shelf, so it'll take us a while to make cases and covers for all the individual disks. But since you wouldn't see this box otherwise, we really wanted to share it.<br /><br />(And if you liked these, you also might like <a href="https://blogs.library.american.edu/archives/dorothy-a-and-charles-a-moore-jr-japanese-woodblock-print-collection/">the library archives' woodblock art collection!</a>)Phil Salvadorhttps://plus.google.com/115042328847406475535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22515704.post-4279481632572130412015-02-08T10:22:00.000-05:002015-02-08T15:41:53.493-05:00Making sense of Birth of a Nation, 100 years later<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.vulture.com/2015/02/why-we-arent-celebrating-100-years-of-movies.html" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I7pT2mmHCQ4/VNd-NpgiqWI/AAAAAAAABeE/vZesCZzl74o/s1600/boan.jpg" height="320" width="206" /></a></div>Today is the 100th anniversary of D. W. Griffith's Civil War epic <i>Birth of a Nation</i>, perhaps one of the most troubling films in the history of the medium. On the one hand, <i>Birth of a Nation</i> is one of the most significant visual works of all time; it was perhaps the first feature-length movie widely distributed across the country (to enormous monetary success) and cemented many of the common directing, editing, and cinematography techniques used in films today. On the other hand, it is deeply hateful and racist, a film the deifies the Ku Klux Klan and blames American unrest on miscegenation. <i>The Daily Beast</i> simultaneously called it <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/02/08/the-racist-movie-that-made-hollywood.html">"groundbreaking" and "a racist piece of garbage."</a> Its historical value is inarguable, but so is its bigotry.<br /><br />What do you do with a film like <i>Birth of a Nation</i>?<br /><br />This is a question that film writers are still actively struggling with. Rather than add our own thoughts, we'll let critics do the talking. Three notable recent articles on the subject are:<br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.avclub.com/article/100-years-old-birth-nation-remains-troubling-contr-214560">"At 100 years old, Birth Of A Nation remains a troubling contradiction"</a> by The AV Club's Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, which focuses more on the filmmaking aspects and its relation to modern cinema</li><li><a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/birth-a-nation-at-100-770620">"The Birth of a Nation at 100: 'Important, Innovative and Despicable'"</a> by Brandeis University professor Tom Doherty</li><li><a href="http://www.vulture.com/2015/02/why-we-arent-celebrating-100-years-of-movies.html">"Why No One Is Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Feature Film"</a> by Vulture's Godfrey Cheshire, which tells the historical context of the film's release and success</li></ul>There's a lot to say on this somewhat inconvenient anniversary. At the very least, it gives us an opportunity to relish in the fact that film has seemed to grow beyond this moment. Phil Salvadorhttps://plus.google.com/115042328847406475535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22515704.post-65440974301002193962015-02-05T12:11:00.000-05:002015-02-05T12:11:41.055-05:00Today in unexpected fandom: David Cronenberg loves Dilbert<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://dangerousminds.net/comments/apparently_david_cronenberg_is_a_huge_dilbert_fan" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f90DqGbrnn4/VNOgkYak-HI/AAAAAAAABd0/yYlaH-c5jhQ/s1600/cronen.jpg" height="185" title="David Cronenberg, in repose" width="200" /></a></div>Director David Cronenberg has made a name for himself as a purveyor of dark psychological films, from self-contained thriller experiments like <i>Cosmopolis</i> to the extra-gory body horror that made him famous in <i>Scanners</i> and <i>The Fly</i>. As befits his style, you might expect his tastes to skew towards the terrifying or distressing. But surprisingly, Cronenberg also really likes <i>Dilbert</i>.<br /><br />Counterculture blog <i>Dangerous Minds</i> h<a href="http://dangerousminds.net/comments/apparently_david_cronenberg_is_a_huge_dilbert_fan">as assembled a litany of examples</a> showing Cronenberg referencing, praising, or outright quoting Scott Adams's famous office parody comic strip. Even as recently as this November, Cronenberg has name-dropped <i>Dilbert</i> in the same breath as other pop culture critiques of business like <i>Wall Street</i>. There's nothing wrong with liking <i>Dilbert</i>, but given the director's background and interests, we wouldn't expect him to fixate on it. Maybe one day he'll try his hand at a satirical comedy.<br /><br />We don't have anything <i>Dilbert</i>-related in our collection, so instead, we'll just encourage you to watch Cronenberg's <i>Videodrome</i> (<a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=3485172">HU DVD 64</a>). It's about as un-<i>Dilbert</i>-y as his filmography gets.Phil Salvadorhttps://plus.google.com/115042328847406475535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22515704.post-38072055758608095422015-02-04T14:57:00.000-05:002015-02-04T15:14:17.419-05:00Dig into net neutrality in Barbershop Punk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://proxyau.wrlc.org/login?url=http://docuseek2.com/v/a/ba" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LRAhscobS5E/VNJ5GslKp8I/AAAAAAAABdk/4bDOQ811vrc/s1600/bshop.jpg" height="206" width="400" /></a></div><br />Only a few hours ago, FCC chairman Tom Wheeler <a href="http://www.wired.com/2015/02/fcc-chairman-wheeler-net-neutrality/">announced his proposal to reclassify Internet services as "common carriers,"</a> a major victory for net neutrality and the prospects of an open Internet. We'll come right out and say that this is fantastic news. The American Library Association has made it clear that open and unfettered Internet access is a public good, and we strongly agree with this sentiment. This won't be settled until the FCC approves these changes, of course, but it's still a great development.<br /><br />The road to net neutrality has been rocky, but as a relatively new issue, it has also been extensively documented. If you want a first-hand look at the labyrinthine legislation and rules that originally governed Internet regulation, look no further than <i>Barbershop Punk</i>, <a href="http://proxyau.wrlc.org/login?url=http://docuseek2.com/v/a/ba">a documentary available streaming through our catalog</a>. <i>Barbershop Punk</i> uses the story of the filmmaker's attempts to distribute his rare barbershop quarter music collection as a microcosm for the larger net neutrality debate. Interviewees include politicians, musicians, and other notable figures with a stake in digital free expression.<br /><br /><i>Barbershop Punk</i> is highly recommended viewing if you're trying to get a handle on the net neutrality issue. And hopefully soon it's one we can put behind us.Phil Salvadorhttps://plus.google.com/115042328847406475535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22515704.post-71913413259161825442015-02-03T15:18:00.003-05:002015-02-03T15:18:29.358-05:00Pixar offers a cautionary tale for filmmakers reluctant to back up their work<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://mentalfloss.com/uk/entertainment/27204/how-one-line-of-text-nearly-killed-toy-story-2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FYZ5SsSr5AQ/VNErL2OVwKI/AAAAAAAABdQ/KDWp1XpPMmg/s1600/toy3.jpg" height="201" width="400" /></a></div><br />The good folks at mental_floss recently uncovered a particularly incredible story from film history that serves as a warning for filmmakers working in the digital age.<br /><br />Pixar was one of the first studios to work with fully digital animation, and as trailblazers in the industry, they learned hard lessons about the perils of that once-new frontier. Specifically, during production of <i>Toy Story 2</i>, Pixar staff <b>accidentally deleted the entire movie</b> and only continued production after finding an incomplete copy on a colleague's personal laptop.<br /><br />The whole story, <a href="http://mentalfloss.com/uk/entertainment/27204/how-one-line-of-text-nearly-killed-toy-story-2">available here</a>, explains that a malicious line of code slowly deleted the studio's files, and a faulty backup system prevented their total recovery. It's startling to think that a mammoth company like Pixar can still be prone to these sorts of failures, but since they were the first major studio to explore this field, it's clearly possible that no one had yet assessed the full dangers of working in an all-digital production environment.<br /><br />These sorts of historical stories are great reminders of how the film process is continually evolving. Pixar's backup system has drastically evolved since the <i>Toy Story 2</i> incident, but it's still possible to imagine that current filmmakers working on effects-heavy movies are still learning from the cautionary tale of this near-miss. A similar incident occurred recently in which the entire run of a children's television show was accidentally deleted before it aired (we sadly couldn't find the exact story about this), so it's clear that these sorts of backup problems will continue to be something filmmaker's deal with for a long time.Phil Salvadorhttps://plus.google.com/115042328847406475535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22515704.post-30151368564231080012015-02-02T17:26:00.003-05:002015-02-02T17:26:33.769-05:00Super Bowl trailer offers a rare insight into the modern CGI process<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.slashfilm.com/jurassic-world-effects/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3_wBniW_VFY/VM_5TqyMJgI/AAAAAAAABdA/FqRYW1YSUfM/s1600/jurassiccomparison.jpg" height="197" width="400" /></a></div><br />You may have watched the Super Bowl yesterday and caught the new trailer for <i>Jurassic World</i>. Pretty cool, right? Dinosaurs! Panic! Familiar music! But between the screaming crowds and velociraptor herds, you might not have noticed the significant changes to the film's general tone an appearance. <a href="http://www.slashfilm.com/jurassic-world-effects/">As <i>Slashfilm</i> points out</a>, the two trailers are a fascinating window into the extent to which special effects and color correction allow filmmakers to alter their original shots dramatically.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.wired.com/2015/02/new-jurassic-world-trailer-hides-improved-cgi-plain-sight/"><i>Wired</i> specifically focuses on the shot</a> of a giant aquatic dinosaur (creature?) eating a baited shark. Within the three-to-four months since the initial trailer, the special effects artists have completely changed the backdrop of the scene,&nbsp;improved the quality of the water, and adjusted the overall palette – all without refilming the scene. We sometimes get to see this sort of work-in-progress technical magic as a DVD special feature, but it's somehow more entertaining to see it happening in real-time. We don't just get to see where they put the green screen: we get to watch the art direction change.<br /><br />We're of course looking forward to <i>Jurassic World</i>, but now, we sort of just want to see how the final product differs.Phil Salvadorhttps://plus.google.com/115042328847406475535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22515704.post-64929509303304423282015-02-01T14:13:00.002-05:002015-02-01T14:13:48.497-05:00Alternative programming: The art of healing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://proxyau.wrlc.org/login?url=http://digital.films.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?aid=8604&amp;xtid=34957" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5E_2vPP6F1k/VM562WDrZTI/AAAAAAAABcw/YJanN0NXazQ/s1600/panel.jpg" height="238" width="400" /></a></div><br />Super Bowl XLIX is imminent, and the NFL is under arguably greater scrutiny than ever over many of its policies and behaviors. Some of the greatest continued focus is reserved for the league's treatment of concussions and injuries, <a href="http://aulibmedia.blogspot.com/2014/02/alternative-programming-football-under.html">which we covered during last year's Super Bowl</a>. This is still a big topic, but we discovered a video in our collection that addresses it from a less-discussed angle: the ethical and moral role of the doctors who treat athletes.<br /><br /><i>Playing Hurt: Ethics and Sports Medicine</i> (<a href="http://proxyau.wrlc.org/login?url=http://digital.films.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?aid=8604&amp;xtid=34957">available via streaming</a>) is a recorded hour-long panel discussion with team physicians, doctors, and other figures in the sports world as they examine the murky world in which medicine and athletics intersect. Professional sports and the NFL in particular are covered, but college and high school also receive some attention. When you hear about athletes who play on injured legs, you only ever hear about the coach's decision and not the doctor's. This is a perspective that we're missing, and you can hear it in this video.<br /><br />This discussion will certainly not be settled in the next few years, and as long as there continue to be new angles to examine it – and relevant videos – we'll continue to share them.Phil Salvadorhttps://plus.google.com/115042328847406475535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22515704.post-28296830585259337482015-01-28T12:39:00.000-05:002015-01-28T12:39:13.354-05:00Learn a language, then watch a movie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.american.edu/library/news/pronunciator-language-learning.cfm" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Pczy6fBEadg/VMkSAVf70lI/AAAAAAAABcc/WmkR-POkdxg/s1600/WP_20150128_001.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div><br />You may have noticed that <a href="http://www.american.edu/library/news/pronunciator-language-learning.cfm">the AU Library recently subscribed to Pronunciator</a>, a Rosetta Stone-style language learning service that is now available free for AU students. The service includes a huge range of languages, everything from the popular ones offered in classes (Arabic, Spanish, etc.) to the lesser-learned (like Macedonian or Xhosa). Pronunciator's two-month courses focus on learning practical language skills for travel, a boon for AU's typically world-hopping student body. No Esperanto sadly, but you're not likely to travel somewhere that speaks Esperanto natively.<br /><br />The promote this new service, we have a little display in the front lobby of some of the library's foreign language collections. We curated some of our favorite non-English-language films and televisions hows and added them to the showcase, as shown in the picture above.<br /><br />In case you wanted to check any of these out, we included the full list below. If you learn Japanese, getting to watch <i>The Calamari Wrestler</i> is your ultimate reward.<br /><br />City of God (Portuguese) – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=5841484">HU DVD 849</a> <br />In the Mood for Love (Cantonese) – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=6272290">HU DVD 1520</a><br />Man Push Cart (Urdu) – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=7461007">HU DVD 2762</a> <br />Offside (Farsi) – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=7255177">HU DVD 3759</a> <br />Night Watch (Russian) – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=6708313">HU DVD 4211</a><br />A Matter of Size (Hebrew) – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=13353348">HU DVD 4515</a><br />Chico &amp; Rita (Spanish) – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=12886689">HU DVD 5477</a> <br />Satin Rouge (Arabic) – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=7705117">HU DVD 6175</a><br />Gomorrah (Italian) – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=7825406">HU DVD 6687</a><br />Free Men (French) – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=12281865">HU DVD 7775</a>&nbsp; <br />Night of Truth (French, Dioula, Moore) – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=7893328">HU DVD 8046</a><br />Macho Dancer (Tagalog) – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=8583247">HU DVD 8178</a><br />Soul Kitchen (German) – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=8887985">HU DVD 8390</a> <br />The Calamari Wrestler (Japanese) – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=13236714">HU DVD 8851</a> <br />Tokyo Drifter (Japanese) – <a href="ttp://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=9223469">HU DVD 9060</a><br />Ali Zaoua (Arabic) – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=9223321">HU DVD 9095</a> <br />Chak De! (Hindi) – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=9024140">HU DVD 10273</a><br />Touki Bouki (Wolof) – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=13529842">DVD 11202</a><br />Secret Garden (Korean) – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=13819000">HU DVD 11459</a><br />Trollhunter (Norwegian) – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=14108508">HU DVD 11619</a><br /><a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=9223321"></a>Phil Salvadorhttps://plus.google.com/115042328847406475535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22515704.post-6073458893895219722015-01-21T11:56:00.000-05:002015-01-21T11:56:18.138-05:00Have a doubleplusgood Orwell Day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=14077906" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o-F762rB0PE/VL_Z6xcimfI/AAAAAAAABcM/gGFZv2LLnHc/s1600/orwell.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>Two years ago, the George Orwell estate declared January 21st "Orwell Day" in commemoration of the anniversary of the renowned political author's death. It's a relatively new holiday – this is only the third one – but we can't help but get in the holiday spirit anyway. The significance of Orwell's work speaks for itself, and the continued relevance of his namesake adjective in current events demonstrates the long shadow cast by his legacy.<br /><br />Rather than throw you a list of every film we have involving George Orwell, we'll simply recommend one: <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=14077906"><i>George Orwell: A Concise Biography</i></a>. This half-hour streaming video covers Orwell's life in career with brisk pace, touching on his education, travels, writing, and involvement in politics. If you're taking a lunch break, this is a great way to cram in some Orwell appreciation before the day is up.<br /><br />Do your part to make this fledgling holiday a "thing"! There's nothing Orwell would have loved more than cultural hegemony, right?Phil Salvadorhttps://plus.google.com/115042328847406475535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22515704.post-34151409912360090662015-01-20T09:49:00.000-05:002015-01-20T09:49:01.877-05:00Behold the wonderful insanity of Japanese Spider-Man<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.avclub.com/article/marvel-now-streaming-2-episodes-70s-japanese-spide-213719" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EyU-QhL9nUc/VL5pashb1jI/AAAAAAAABb8/YqFWElj2QPE/s1600/spidermancrazy.jpg" height="200" width="191" /></a></div>Just for fun, we're gonna share something really weird. Marvel Studios has slowly been expanding its line-up television programming, starting with <i>Agents of SHIELD</i> and quickly expanding with <i>Agent Carter</i> and <i>Daredevil</i>. There's plenty to discuss about the business of high-budget television and the current wave of genre shows that we're experiencing, but we're not talking about that today.<br /><br />Today, we want to share the 1978 Japanese <i>Spider-Man</i> show.<br /><br />The show, often literally translated as "Supaidaman," has previously only been available in the United States as a bootleg VHS or DVD. But to celebrate a recent comic tie-in with the show, <a href="http://marvel.com/news/comics/23916/japanese_spiderman_rocks_spider-verse_returns_to_marvelcom">Marvel released two episodes via streaming video</a>, making it legally watchable for the first time. Apart from the usual costume and wall-climbing antics, it has very little to do with Spider-Man. For one, Spider-Man has a gun and rides around in a giant robot named Leopardon. It's highly watchable and extremely bizarre, surely ranking among the least faithful television adaptations ever.<br /><br />We didn't have a good reason to share this other than finding it really funny. We tend to share informative or serious articles, so once in a while, you need some Japanese Spider-Man. If you ever want to watch some normal Spider-Man with fewer giant robots, we have the original film trilogy and the Andrew Garfield reboot in our collection.<br /><br />Spider-Man – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=8125934">HU DVD 7121</a><br />Spider-Man 2 – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=8125933">HU DVD 7122</a><br />Spider-Man 3 – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=8125932">HU DVD 7123 </a><br />The Amazing Spider-Man – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=12531711">HU DVD 6493</a>Phil Salvadorhttps://plus.google.com/115042328847406475535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22515704.post-6702710529688657302015-01-18T16:02:00.001-05:002015-01-18T16:02:09.999-05:00Observe MLK with a free screening of King: A Filmed Record<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.afi.com/silver/films/events.aspx#kinga" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uvvAu4qV8YM/VLwe_lUEqGI/AAAAAAAABbs/Er-TWrT8vKI/s1600/king.jpg" height="148" width="200" /></a></div>Tomorrow is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a national holiday for reflection and service. If you planned to celebrate the holiday through film, perhaps the most obvious choice is to see <i>Selma</i>, <a href="http://www.fandango.com/selma_178137/movietimes?date=1/19/2015">which plays throughout DC</a> (including at the Avalon and Mazza Gallerie theaters close to American). Reviews are spectacular, and squabbling over historical accuracy aside, it's likely a must-see.<br /><br />But there's another option if you're looking for something more educational and historical. On Monday at 1:45pm, the AFI Silver in Silver Spring will host <a href="http://www.afi.com/silver/films/events.aspx#kinga">a free screening of <i>King: A Filmed Record</i></a>, an epic three-hour documentary about Dr. King's legacy from the Montgomery bus boycotts to his assassination in Memphis. Originally intended to be shown only once in 1970, the film is now considered a classic and one of the most significant documentaries of the civil rights movement.<br /><br />We're very excited to see so many relevant films being screened in DC for the weekend, especially given the unfortunate, racially tinged incidents of the past year. If you aren't out volunteering or such tomorrow, consider stopping by a local theater to see either of these great films.<br /><br />In case you miss <i>King</i>, we have a DVD copy in our collection (<a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=12741525">HU DVD 2801</a>). Phil Salvadorhttps://plus.google.com/115042328847406475535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22515704.post-64294304155351970712015-01-15T10:11:00.002-05:002015-01-15T10:19:28.183-05:00Everything is Oscars! See the Academy Award nominees that have hit DVD<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/style-blog/wp/2015/01/15/2015-oscar-nominations-complete-coverage/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3srTVQ3S1RY/VLfYmJnhegI/AAAAAAAABbc/gZ6RJnDcAWs/s1600/budapest.jpg" height="158" width="400" /></a></div><br />Earlier today, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the nominations for this year's Oscars ceremony. It's a solid if unsurprising list: <i>Birdman</i> and <i>Boyhood</i> earned big nods, and Jake Gyllenhaal is sadly nowhere in sight. For a full list of nominees that you'll have to start learning the names of, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/style-blog/wp/2015/01/15/2015-oscar-nominations-complete-coverage/">check out the Washington Post's list</a>.<br /><br /><i>(ADDENDUM: One of our staff members points out that this is the whitest and most male Oscar ceremony in decades. No women are nominated in the major awards outside of the actress categories; Iñárritu is the only person of color in those categories. Somewhat a letdown considering the diversity among directors and writers this year.) </i><br /><br />Most of the nominated films were released in the last few months, as tends to happen for award-seeking movies, so very few are available on DVD yet. We have a few in process (<i>Boyhood</i>, <i>Gone Girl</i>, and <i>Guardians of the Galaxy</i> are on their way...), but a handful of the foreign and documentary films have already seen home video release. And to be honest, those are the ones you probably needed to watch anyway.<br /><br />There'll probably be repertoire theaters replaying some of the nominees in the coming weeks, but if you find yourself in the library, consider watching these award contenders in advance of the big ceremony.<br /><br />The Grand Budapest Hotel – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=13832290">HU DVD 11444</a><br /><b>Nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Production Design</b><br /><br />The Lego Movie – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=13891973">HU DVD 11466</a><br /><b>Nominated for Best Original Song</b><br /><br />Ida – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=14020369">HU DVD 11538</a><br /><b>Nominated for Best Cinematography, Best Foreign Language Film</b><br /><br />Finding Vivian Maier – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=14020364">HU DVD 11547</a><b></b><br /><b>Nominated for Best Documentary Feature</b><br /><br />Maleficent – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=14057138">HU DVD 11584</a><br /><b>Nominated for Best Costume Design</b>Phil Salvadorhttps://plus.google.com/115042328847406475535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22515704.post-89562086320924562912015-01-14T17:37:00.001-05:002015-01-18T15:06:01.867-05:00Внимание! Preview the next season of The Americans at the Spy Museum (21+)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.gofobo.com/THEAMERICANSAULibrary" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pJKZ2s7AYTg/VLbvWU3UeDI/AAAAAAAABbM/jRMOp2MZpFI/s1600/americans.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div><br />We like to offer passes to upcoming film events, but even the best of those (like one in which <a href="http://aulibmedia.blogspot.com/2014/10/screenings-galore-more-passes-available.html">Jake Gyllenhaal apparently took selfies with everyone in the audience</a>) are restricted to traditional theater and Q&amp;A settings. You may ask: do we have anything classier to offer?<br /><br />Just for you, discerning patron, we're proud to announce our first-ever passes to a 21+ event and reception!<br /><br /><b>Next Tuesday, January 20th at 7pm,</b> the Spy Museum will host an advance screening of the upcoming season of FX's acclaimed Cold War drama <i>The Americans</i>. The screening includes a free tour of the museum (typically $22) as well as free hors d'ourves and, yes, <i>an open bar</i>. This event is of course restricted to attendees over the age of 21.<br /><br />(<b>NOTE:</b> The tickets list a different starting time, but the event does indeed start at 7pm. Don't be fooled! This is likely a KGB trick.) <br /><br /><a href="http://www.gofobo.com/THEAMERICANSAULibrary">Redeem your two-person pass online here</a>. Given the age restriction, there's a small registration required before you can get your passes. You'll want to show up early, as usual, especially since this is such a swanky affair that'll undoubtedly bring out a big crowd.<br /><br />Hopefully see you then, товарищ!Phil Salvadorhttps://plus.google.com/115042328847406475535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22515704.post-75141558742054779362015-01-13T12:10:00.001-05:002015-01-13T12:15:59.987-05:00A behind-the-scenes look at how colorists change raw video into beautiful film<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/116019668" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />Much of the credit for the filmmaking process understandably goes to the directors, cinematographers, and editors, but many technicians work with film behind the scenes to create the final images that you see on screen. This is especially true for colorists. Notable films such as <i>O Brother, Where Art Thou?</i> use extensive color correction to suggest a different era and aesthetic, but that role has grown now that digital is the default film format. Colorists increasingly deal with raw film to which they add their own lighting and tone, dramatically altering the appearance of the final product.<br /><br />We rarely get a chance to see raw film from commercial products (it's not like Marvel is going to release the rough cut of <i>The Avengers</i>), so it's surprising and exciting to see an independent filmmaker lay their entire coloring process bare. This horror film in this video, <i>The House on Pine Street</i>, provided plenty of opportunities for colorist Taylre Jones to play with dramatic, high-contrast lighting and color levels. You can see how the film's appearance changes with each step of the process, moving from washed out to crisp and colorful.<br /><br />Videos like this help you appreciate the less-appreciated work that happens in post-productions that make films pop. This technique has of course seen some backlash, especially in recent blockbusters that overblow their teal and orange levels. But it's a neat peek into a filmmaking skill that's often ignored.Phil Salvadorhttps://plus.google.com/115042328847406475535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22515704.post-59803395957023775792015-01-12T19:32:00.000-05:002015-01-12T19:32:05.693-05:00Ferris Bueller and The Dude join this year's National Film Registry list<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-national-film-registry-movies-20141217-story.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-00469GrwwKk/VLRndElzDgI/AAAAAAAABa8/lNhhtYWotTY/s1600/bueller.jpg" height="200" width="400" /></a></div><br />While everyone was out over break, the Library of Congress continued tradition by <a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-national-film-registry-movies-20141217-story.html">adding 25 new titles to its permanent archives in the National Film Registry</a>. Each year, the National Film Preservation Board selects films that it deems "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" for preservation for future generations. It's an eclectic collection that spans decades and genres, and this year's additions are similarly well-rounded.<br /><br />The highest-profile films in the NFR's latest wave include stoner-bowling-mystery-comedy <i>The Big Lebowski</i>, World War II drama <i>Saving Private Ryan</i>, 80s teen wish fulfillment vehicle <i>Ferris Bueller's Day Off</i>, and Pixar's first ever short, <i>Luxo Jr</i>. But there are also odder gems beyond that, like <i>13 Lakes</i>, a long-take documentary about America's lakes, and the untitled <i>Bert Williams Lime Kiln Club Field Day</i>, the first film to feature an all-black cast.<br /><br />You certainly can't fault the National Film Preservation Board for picking some interesting films. If you'd like to catch up on what the government now considers essential, the following recently selected films are also in our collection:<br /><br />The Big Lebowski – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=3472251">HU DVD 25</a><br />Into the Arms of Strangers – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=3893243">DVD 305</a><br />Little Big Man – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=5612271">HU DVD 650</a><br />Saving Private Ryan – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=6214559">HU DVD 1313 </a><br />Luxo Jr. – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=7106698">HU DVD 3411</a><br />Rosemary's Baby – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=7661218">HU DVD&nbsp; 5783</a><br />Down Argentine Way – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=7697600">HU DVD 6094</a><br />Ferris Bueller's Day Off – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=7705113">HU DVD 6126</a><br />Rio Bravo – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=8148083">HU DVD 7326</a><br />Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=11785504">HU DVD 10240</a><br />The Gang's All Here – <a href="http://catalog.wrlc.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=12030793">MUSIC LIBRARY DVD 300</a>Phil Salvadorhttps://plus.google.com/115042328847406475535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22515704.post-42983929813134704782014-12-09T11:49:00.000-05:002014-12-09T12:19:54.368-05:00New Acquisitions - December 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://aulibmedia.blogspot.com/2014/12/new-acquisitions-december-2014.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Omsp69FWX5w/VIcnqmq0NvI/AAAAAAAABak/Ej5th_qvbXk/s1600/newacq1214.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>Lift your head up from your notebook and take a deep breath. Yes, it's finals season, but you've gotta take some time for yourself. Maybe watch a movie or a TV show? We're glad to aid and abet that sort of behavior.<br /><br />As we wind our into the last week of the semester,&nbsp; we have one last load of great DVDs for 2014. Our biggest and splashiest purchase is the complete series of <i>How I Met Your Mother</i>, complete with the alternative ending that nearly everyone agrees should have been used in the first place. But there's plenty of other notables in this batch too: Disney's <i>Maleficent</i>, sci-fi sleeper hit <i>Edge of Tomorrow</i>, FX's acclaimed <i>Fargo</i> television series, and indie sensation <i>Chef</i>.<br /><br />We're also picking up more classics we've been missing, especially on the television front. We've purchased seasons of shows including <i>Ally McBeal</i>, <i>Cheers</i>, <i>Chico and the Man</i>, and <i>In Living Color</i>.<br /><br />And for fans of the truly weird, we now also have <i>The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension</i>, a bizarre sci-fi action-adventure film starring Peter Weller (best known as RoboCop) as a neurosurgeon who fights crime across the galaxy with the help of his rock-n-roll band. It's special.<br /><br />Hit the jump for a full list of what we have in store...<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br /><h3>Home Use Collection: </h3><br />My Voyage to Italy – HU DVD 1023<br />Portland Expose / They Were So Young – HU DVD 5214<br />Loan Shark / Arson, Inc. – HU DVD 5215<br />Shadow Man / Shoot to Kill – HU DVD 5216<br />Thunder on the Hill – HU DVD 6436<br />Taza, Son of Cochise – HU DVD 6437<br />Captain Lightfoot – HU DVD 6438<br />The Tarnished Angels&nbsp; – HU DVD 6439<br />Porgy and Bess – HU DVD 6449<br />Little Voice – HU DVD 6603<br />Return to Zero – HU DVD 6604<br />The Damned Don’t Cry – HU DVD 6606<br />Calloused Hands – HU DVD 6607<br />Paid in Full – HU DVD 6608<br />Tomboy – HU DVD 6609<br />The Unquiet Death of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg – HU DVD 6611<br />Reportero – HU DVD 6612<br />1964 – HU DVD 6613<br />The Address – HU DVD 6614<br />I Drink Your Blood – HU DVD 6615<br />Grammar Revolution – HU DVD 6617<br />Theorem – HU DVD 6618<br />The World, the Flesh, and the Devil – HU DVD 6619<br />Selfish Giant – HU DVD 6620<br />Fantastic Voyage – HU DVD 6621<br />Goodbye Tibet – HU DVD 6622<br />Grand Prix – HU DVD 6623<br />Show People – HU DVD 6624<br />The Black Pirate – HU DVD 6625<br />Betty Boop: The Essential Collection Volume 3 – HU DVD 8064<br />Betty Boop: The Essential Collection Volume&nbsp; 4 – HU DVD 8065<br />American Horror Story: Asylum – HU DVD 10609<br />Palo Alto – HU DVD 11481<br />About Time – HU DVD 11482<br />Broadchurch, Season 1 – HU DVD 11483<br />How to Train Your Dragon – HU DVD 11484<br />The Fifth Estate – HU DVD 11485<br />The Fifth Estate – HU <span style="color: blue;">BLU</span> 11485<br />Bonnie &amp; Clyde – HU DVD 11487<br />The Five Heartbeats – HU DVD 11488<br />The White Queen, Season 1 – HU DVD 11489<br />The Lunchbox – HU DVD 11490 <br />The Lunchbox – HU <span style="color: blue;">BLU</span> 11490<br />The Courtesans of Bombay – HU DVD 11491<br />Sharkwater – HU DVD 11492<br />Rouch in Reverse – HU DVD 11493<br />Jockeys – HU DVD 11494<br />Locke – HU DVD 11495<br />Tim’s Vermeer – HU DVD 11496<br />Tim’s Vermeer – HU <span style="color: blue;">BLU</span> 11496<br />Chronicle – HU DVD 11497 <br />Chronicle – HU <span style="color: blue;">BLU</span> 11497<br />Godzilla – HU DVD 11498 <br />Godzilla – HU <span style="color: blue;">BLU</span> 11498<br />The Human Zoo: The Final Journey of Calafate – HU DVD 11499<br />Mogambo – HU DVD 11500<br />Years of Living Dangerously – HU DVD 11501<br />One Hour Photo – HU DVD 11502<br />War &amp; Peace – HU DVD 11502<br />Glickman – HU DVD 11503<br />Out of the Clear Blue Sky – HU DVD 11504<br />The Last of the Unjust – HU DVD 11505<br />The Hired Hand – HU DVD 11506<br />Gregory’s Girl – HU DVD 11507<br />Batman: Mask of the Phantasm – HU DVD 11508<br />Faded: Girls &amp; Binge Drinking – HU DVD 11509<br />Batman: Under the Red Hood – HU DVD 11510<br />In Living Color, Season 1 – HU DVD 11511<br />In Living Color, Season 2 – HU DVD 11512<br />In Living Color, Season 3 – HU DVD 11513<br />In Living Color, Season 4 – HU DVD 11514<br />In Living Color, Season 5 – HU DVD 11515<br />The Hunger – HU DVD 11516<br />United States of Secrets – HU DVD 11517<br />Scheherazade in Baabda – HU DVD 11518<br />The Monkees, Season 1 – HU DVD 11520<br />The Monkees, Season 2 – HU DVD 11521<br />Sent of a Woman – HU DVD 11523<br />We Are the Best! – HU DVD 11524<br />Matilda – HU DVD 11525<br />Buffalo Bill – HU DVD 11526<br />Ilo Ilo – HU DVD 11527<br />Masked Rider the First – HU DVD 11528<br />The Secret of NIMH – HU DVD 11529<br />Cheers, Season 1 – HU DVD 11530<br />American Promise – HU DVD 11531<br />Chico and the Man – HU DVD 11533<br />Citizen Koch – HU DVD 11534<br />Der Fall Jagerstatter – HU DVD 11537<br />The Secret Life of Walter Mitty – HU DVD 11539<br />Valentine Road – HU DVD 11540<br />Slapstick Symposium Max Linder Collection – HU DVD 11541<br />Ally McBeal, Season 1 – HU DVD 11542<br />Super Fly – HU DVD 11545<br />The Forgotten Kingdom – HU DVD 11546<br />Too Sane for this World – HU DVD 11546<br />The Best of Fridays – HU DVD 11554<br />The Trilogy: On the Run, An Amazing Couple, After Life – HU DVD 11555<br />Fargo, Season 1 – HU DVD 11556<br />55 Days of Peking – HU DVD 11558<br />The Holcroft Covenant – HU DVD 11560<br />The Whistle Blower – HU DVD 11561<br />How I Met Your Mother, Season 1 – HU DVD 11571<br />How I Met Your Mother, Season 2 – HU DVD 11572<br />How I Met Your Mother, Season 3 – HU DVD 11573<br />How I Met Your Mother, Season 4 – HU DVD 11574<br />How I Met Your Mother, Season 5 – HU DVD 11575<br />How I Met Your Mother, Season 6 – HU DVD 11576<br />How I Met Your Mother, Season 7 – HU DVD 11577<br />How I Met Your Mother, Season 8 – HU DVD 11578<br />How I Met Your Mother, Season 9 – HU DVD 11579<br />The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension – HU DVD 11582<br />The Roosevelts: An Intimate History – HU DVD 11583<br />Maleficent – HU DVD 11584<br />Edge of Tomorrow – HU DVD 11585<br />A Most Wanted Man – HU DVD 11586<br />Chef – HU DVD 11587<br />21 Jump Street – HU DVD 11588<br />Welcome Back Kotter, Season 1 – HU DVD 14252<br /><br /><br /><h3>In-Library Titles: </h3><br />Lola – DVD 11548<br />Lola – <span style="color: blue;">BLU</span> 11548<br />Bay of Angels – DVD 11549 <br />Bay of Angels – <span style="color: blue;">BLU</span> 11549<br />The Umbrellas of Cherbough – DVD 11550 <br />The Umbrellas of Cherbough – <span style="color: blue;">BLU</span> 11550<br />The Young Girls of Rochefort – DVD 11551 <br />The Young Girls of Rochefort – <span style="color: blue;">BLU</span> 11551<br />Donkey Skin – DVD 11552 <br />Donkey Skin – <span style="color: blue;">BLU</span> 11552<br />Une Chambre en Ville – DVD 11553 <br />Une Chambre en Ville – <span style="color: blue;">BLU</span> 11553Phil Salvadorhttps://plus.google.com/115042328847406475535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22515704.post-40726278076850805822014-12-04T16:14:00.002-05:002014-12-04T16:14:42.455-05:00Watch the best films of the year in one thrilling montage<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/113355414" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br /><br />Another year in film is winding down, leaving a trail of Oscar contenders and Christmas movies as it passes into the horizon. December seems like as good of a time as any to look back on some of the great films that came out this year, everything from <i>The Lego Movie</i> to <i>Gone Girl</i>.<br /><br />We're going to hand the metaphorical mic over to David Ehrlich, an editor who for several years has compiled mashups of what he considers the best films over the year. His choices are always a little controversial (<i>Godzilla</i> makes the top 25; <i>Birdman</i> does not), but he certainly knows how to make a montage. Even if you don't know some of the odder films in Ehlrich's list, they're worth watching here. We guarantee you'll want to watch <i>Why Don't You Play in Hell?</i> after this.Phil Salvadorhttps://plus.google.com/115042328847406475535noreply@blogger.com0